Karnataka: Congress leader Roshan Baig on Tuesday called his party leader KC Venugopal a "buffoon" and blamed Siddaramaiah for the "collapse" of the alliance in the state.
"KC Venugopal is a buffoon. I feel sorry for my leader Rahul Gandhi ji. Buffoons like Venugopal, the arrogant attitude of Siddaramaiah and the flop show of Gundu Rao. The result is this," he told the media.
Baig, a senior MLA, also slammed former chief minister Siddarmaiah for "dividing" the Hindu society by attempting to give separate religion tag to Lingayat community and "abusing" the Vokkaliga community during his tenure in the top post.
The attack by Baig who was miffed over being denied ticket to contest Lok Sabha polls came after the exit polls predicted a rout for the Congress-JD(S) alliance in Karnataka and NDA's return to power at the Centre.
Baig also appealed to the Muslims to "compromise with the situation" (about BJP-led NDA being in power) and not to remain like "cattle" and be reduced to a vote bank.
Asked whether Congress should have given more thought before giving portfolios in the state, Baig said, "Portfolios were sold. How can I blame Kumaraswamy for it? He wasn't allowed to function.
From day one Siddaramaiah said 'I'm going to be the Chief Minister'.You have gone to their doorstep to form the government."
Amid all this, Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy has also cancelled his scheduled visit to Delhi.
Later when a reporter questioned whether Siddaramaiah is responsible for the "collapse" of the government, Baig replied, "Yes. He is responsible."
Baig further alleged that "no seats were given to Christians and only one seat was given to Muslims in Karnataka."
"They were ignored. I am upset with this, we have been used," he said.
Seeking Baig's explanation in a week, the notice signed by KPCC General Secretary V Y Ghorpade said, "On failing to reply further disciplinary action will be taken against you."
The notice has taken strong exception to Baig's comments against Venugopal, Rao and Siddaramaiah.
"By making statements to the media and causing discomfort to the party and expressing your displeasure publicly through the media, you have conducted yourself by going against the party's principles. Your conduct has dented party's prestige," it said.
Baig said the "drastic decisions" led to the downfall of the party in the assembly election and now the same was reflected in the Lok Sabha exit poll results too.
"Nobody should divide the religion. A chief minister should behave like a statesman. What does it mean if he (Siddaramaiah) thinks he will win the election by dividing the religion? Isn't it madness?" he said.
Meanwhile, Baig's son Ruman Baig in a tweet said: "Congress has created a fear psychosis amongst minorities. They've created a narrative that minorities should feel guilty if they decide to vote for BJP. But in reality, Congress leadership just uses the minority vote bank as a safety cushion."
Reacting to Roshan Baig's outburst, Rao said the remarks crossed the limits of the party's discipline.
"The results are not yet out but he is giving statements in a way as if he is extremely happy with the projections," Rao said.
Baig had earlier, too, expressed displeasure against the Congress leadership for not being included in the cabinet, headed by Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy.
His outbursts have come at a time when another senior MLA, Ramesh Jarkiholi, who is hobnobbing with the Bharatiya Janata Party, had threatened to quit the Congress along with other MLAs "soon".
